Feminism and Gender Democracy Articles

Between 2011 and 2013 alone 5,891 LGBT people left Armenia. This article will tell the first-hand story of lesbian, bisexual and transgender Armenian citizens who have moved to different EU countries.

By Arthur Minasyan

Projects and Events on Gender Democracy

Gender democracy is one of the basic principles of Heinrich Boell Foundation. The concept postulates equal rights, opportunities and access to resourses for all members of society. Development of events in the region demonstrates that human rights, especially minority rights, are not guaranteed in the countries. Accordingly, HBF actively supports projects which promote gender democracy. Our gender component covers educational programs, discussions, gender researches and other public activity, which contribute to democratization of the region.

On November 20, 2017, the International Transgender Day of Remembrance, which is marked annually in memory of trans* persons who have lost their lives to transphobic violence, the hbs South Caucasus Regional Office, held a round table meeting on issues of legal gender recognition (LGR) in Tbilisi.

On September 28, 2017, the Heinrich Boell Foundation South Caucasus Regional Office, together with its partners PINK and SWV organised a Wrap-up Stakeholder Meeting of the EU-funded Project “Solidarity Network for LGBTI in Armenia and Georgia”, which was being implemented since early 2015 in Aremnia and Georgia. հայերեն

The long-term advocacy strategy/declaration to combat homo/bi/transphobia aims to support the elimination of discrimination against LGBTI persons in Georgia via a complex approach. We call on organisations that share the issues outlined in the strategy/declaration to join and confirm their support.

On May 3, 2017, the Heinrich Boell Foundation, in cooperation with the Women's Initiatives Supporting Group & the Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center held public discussions "Homophobic Politics or Political Homophobia".

On March 10 the hbs South Caucasus in cooperation with WISG and EMC held a CSO Forum with the participation of civil society organisations and media representatives, where the project partners presented a long-term advocacy strategy document to combat homo/bi/transphobia in Georgia.

(closed project) Project aims to start the feminist discussion about the controversial aspects of motherhood as an experience and as an institution. Also, it aims to critically rethink the concept from the perspective of mothers and feminists.

On December 20, the Georgian Parliament hosted a Conference on Gender and Law: Gender Analysis of Georgian Legislation. The centerpiece of the conference was an extensive Gender and Law study prepared by Partnership for Human Rights with EWMI-PROLoG’s support and expertise from the South Caucasus Regional Office of the Heinrich Boell Foundation.

On December 2, 2016, the Heinrich Boell Foundation South Caucasus Regional Office, together with its partners, the NGO Public Information and Need of Knowledge (PINK) and Society Without Violence (SWV) organized a presentation of a comprehensive LGBTI rights strategy document, titled “Realising the Human Rights of LGBTI People in Armenia”.

The Women’s Initiatives Supporting Group (WISG) in Georgia and Public Information and Need of Knowledge (PINK) in Armenia, in cooperation with the South Caucasus Regional Office of the Heinrich Boll Foundation, are announcing a Call for Project Proposals for a small grants component within the EU-funded action Solidarity Network for LGBTI in Armenia and Georgia (2015-2017).

On October 25-28, 2016, the Heinrich Boell Foundation South Caucasus Regional Office, in cooperation with partners, hosted a group of activists, representatives of Armenian CSOs and LGBTI organizations in the scope of a capacity-building tour, which aimed to connect these actors with LGBTI organizations, other NGOs and equality body representatives in Georgia.

Project "Read politics" is initiated by two women and aims at aims at raising awareness and promoting the culture of reading, or simply to say political reading isn't only getting familiar with the political document but it is a political analysis and critics of the text.

Baltic Pride week, whose principal slogan was "We Are People, Not Propaganda!", lasted from June 13 to 23 with the Pride March taking place on June 18 and a number of associated events conducted throughout principally organized by the Lithuanian National LGBT* Rights Organization (LGL).

“Every single time we gather and discuss the issues which are more than important nowadays for achieving equality and non-discrimination towards the LGBTI community and allies, I proudly understand one simple fact: Who, if not us? And, when, if not now?" – Arman Sahakyan, New Generation Humanitarian NGO, Armenia

LGBTI individuals and LGBTI human rights defenders in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia are facing huge challenges as LGBTI rights issues are currently shaped by EU, Russia, and South Caucasus geopolitical and economic interests. Could the European Neighbourhood Policy and other EU foreign policy initiatives contribute to the improvement of the LGBTI rights situation in the region?

(ongoing project) International Gender Workshop series is cooperation between different offices of Heinrich Boell Foundation and brings together gender program coordinators from respective offices and partner experts.

Within the framework of the EU-funded action Solidarity Network for LGBTI in Armenia and Georgia, WISG is tasked with managing the components of the societal attitudes study in Georgia, designing the training manual and conducting CSO capacity building trainings; managing the small grants component as a follow-up to the trainings, and implementing the micro grants component to enhancing the visibility of the action and its results.

(ongoing project) Within the framework of the EU-funded project Solidarity Network for LGBTI in Armenia and Georgia, PINK Armenia is tasked with managing components of the societal attitudes study in Armenia, conducting capacity development trainings for LGBTI organizations/activists, and managing the small grants component to follow up on CSO capacity building in Armenia.

(ongoing project) Within the frames of the EU-funded action Solidarity Network for LGBTI in Armenia and Georgia, SWV will manage components of the situational assessment of LGBTI conditions in Armenia, conduct capacity building/sensitization of journalists in Armenia, implement CSO capacity building trainings, and manage the micro grants component in Armenia to enhance the visibility of the action.

(ongoing project) Within the frames of the EU-funded project Solidarity Network for LGBTI in Armenia and Georgia, EMC will manage components of the situational assessment on LGBTI people’s conditions in Georgia, conduct capacity development trainings for LGBTI organizations/activists, as well as capacity building trainings for law-enforcement agencies, and meetings with relevant law-enforcement officials, in Georgia.

(closed project) Nongovernmental organization Women for Regional Development with financial support of the Heinrich Boell Foundation implements a project "We talk and act against gender based violence".

(closed project) Installation based on the interviews with victims of domestic violence. The aim of exhibition is to re-interpret gender-based violence in order to make it subject of research and public discussion.

2012 was a special year in terms of publicity of LGBT (Lesbi, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community and LGBT movement in all three South Caucasian countries. Several important steps have been made towards raising acute issues about sexual identity, differences/diversity and social constructs in Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia.

Presented material is a collection of works on gender issues prepared by scholars of the South Caucasus Regional Office the Heinrich Boell Foundation's Scholarship Program. The presented studies belong to the young scientists involved in the social sciences in the South Caucasus region, who were at different times the scholars of the Foundation.

With the support of the South Caucasus Regional Office of the HBF three activists from Georgia and Armenia: Eka Aghdgomelashvili, Nino Gamisonia and Elvira Meliksetyan participated in the International Conference - “Feminism. Assemblage Point” organized on 5-7 March, 2013 in Kiev by feminist organization Ofenziva supported by the HBF Ukraine Office.

On November 26-27, 2012 the South Caucasus Regional Office of the Heinrich Boell Foundation (HBF), in cooperation with HBF offices of Poland, Russia and Ukraine, hosted an International Workshop to discuss the various issues concerning gender diversity and to look closer at the manifold angles of gender.

In spite of declared equality, the lack of women in Georgian politics and at all levels of government is obvious. This was the main topic of the Heinrich Boell Foundation’s public discussion organized in Batumi.

In the past, offenders received a five-year prison sentence for property damage or destruction. Following the amendments to the Criminal Code, if it is determined that hatred towards the victim due to his/her ethnic, religious or other type of minority status motivated the crime, the offender will receive a heavier sentence than in the case of a motive such as revenge on the property owner.

The South Caucasus Regional Office of the Heinrich Boell Foundation hosted a round table entitled “LBT Rights are Women’s Rights” on 12 March 2012. The round table was a part of the Week of 8th March Campaign organized by “Women’s Initiatives Supporting Group”. The photo exhibition “A Room of One’s Own” was also part of the event, where participants could view professional and amateur photographers’ works.

Peace and Security are important not only for women, but wars and unstable environments especially influence women and children. Women and peace, conflicts and safety, gender based violence, human rights, women’s role in conflict prevention and resolution, participation in peace processes, UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and Georgia’s National Action Plan